In a blood-chilling incident, four members of a family were hammered to death and the bodies were buried in a pit near their house at Mundanmudi near Thodupuzha in Idukki district.
Police suspect they were killed either on Sunday night or Monday as the bodies were in decomposed condition.
The cops found the bodies of Kanat Krishnankutty, 60, his wife Suseesla, 50, daughter Arsha, 21, and son Arjun, 18, piled up one above the other in a hurriedly-dug pit near a goat shed behind the house.
According to police, a hammer, knife and a few stones, all of which have blood stains, were found inside the house.
Krishnankutty owns an acre of rubber plantation and used to run a grocery shop nearby. However, the shop was closed sometime ago. His daughter was a BEd student at an institute in Thodupuzha while his son was studying in class XII at a school at Kanjikuzhi, near Idukki.
The girl and her mother were last seen on Sunday when they bought milk from a neighbour's house in the morning and evening. When no one came to collect milk on subsequent days, the neighbour informed the family's relatives and police on Wednesday morning and they found that the house, situated in an isolated area, was not locked. Inside, blood stains were visible everywhere and signs of resistance could be seen.
On further probe, the villagers spotted the freshly dug pit and the bodies inside it.
Police have already ruled out theft as the motive for the murders as earrings and other ornaments of the bodies were not stolen. The family reportedly kept a distance from others.
According to villagers, Krishnankutty was allegedly involved in witchcraft and several of his clients used to visit him in the night.
The family had bought the land at Mundanmudi around 25 years ago. All their relatives are based at Melukavu in Kottayam district.
In the pit, Arjun's body was on top, then Arsha, Suseesla and Krishnankutty. Stab injuries were also found on the bodies. Police suspect that the murderers were known to the family and this must be an act of revenge.